SAN ANTONIO — As photos of long lines and sparsely-stocked shelves at major grocery stores continue to circulate, small community grocers have emerged as an alternative.
For Culebra Meat Market #1 on Culebra Road, business has picked up as shelves remain stocked with essentials.
Store Manager Sara Ramirez said that while a number of items on her latest order – including ramen, water, toilet paper and pasta – have been reduced, there's still lots of products on their shelves.
She said she gets calls on a daily basis asking whether her store has meat, something many major stores are suddenly out of.
"We have everything (shoppers) need here," Ramirez said. "We have a lot of meat. We are not going to run out of meat. We have our freezers full and I know that that's a lot of what people come in saying (major retailers) don't have."
One shopper, Laura Juarez, said the small market is overlooked, but has everything she needs.
“Right now this is just where people are not looking," Juarez said. "We found eggs. We haven’t found eggs in four days, so we were real excited to find eggs.”
In addition to being stocked up on the things she needs, Juarez said she understands local businesses are hurting.
While business has picked up for many local markets, the lines aren't long.
“Everybody thinks of the big grocery stores at a time like this," said La Michoacana employee Arlene Escamilla. "Just remember about your local stores, your smaller stores.”
On Friday afternoon, shoppers at La Michoacana on Crossroads Boulevard could be seen humming along without a hitch. Market staff say they're trying to keep it that way; Escamilla recommended that families send a designated shopper instead of making the store visit a family affair.
“Don’t panic. We have the items coming in daily," she said. "Take only what you currently need.”
And while her main focus is keeping the community's pantries full, Escamilla also had a lesson in humanity.
"Just remember about your neighbors: Be nice to each other, be nice to our employees – any grocery employees – and remember they are working longer hours and providing a service for you,” Escamilla said.
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